There has been disclosed a communication device which reads apparatus information out from an Integrated Circuit (IC) tag on an apparatus by using proximity wireless communication, then registers operation information corresponding to the readout apparatus information, so that the communication device can serves as a remote controller of the apparatus (for example, Patent Reference 1). This communication device has operation units each of which enables the communication device to serve as a remote controller that remotely controls a predetermined target apparatus to be controlled. The communication device includes an IC tag reader unit and a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The IC tag reader unit reads, from an IC tag on the target apparatus, apparatus information corresponding to the target apparatus. The CPU executes a registration program for registering a control information data file and the apparatus information read by the IC tag reader unit. In the control information data file, the apparatus information is stored in association with control information. The CPU also executes the registration program for obtaining the control information associated with the apparatus information from the control information data file, and for registering various control instructions of the obtained control information to the respective operation units. Then, when one of the operation units is pressed, the communication device transmits, to the target apparatus, a specific control instruction corresponding to the pressed operation unit from among the registered control instructions of the control information.
There also has been disclosed a remote control user interface using proximity wireless communication which has been conceived in consideration of operation simplicity and usability (for example, Patent Reference 2). This remote control user interface includes an operation sheet and a remote controller. The operation sheet holds wireless tags in respective regions segmented for respective different operation items. In each of the tags, information necessary to operate an external electronic device is stored. By using the operation sheet, the remote controller transmits a command signal to the electronic device. Then, the remote controller side reads the information from the wireless tag on the operation sheet not without being in contact with the operation sheet, and transmits a command signal based on the readout information to the electronic device.
There still has been disclosed a control device that allows a user to select necessary information by a simple operation, for example, by pointing by a remote controller to a button (selected button) on a display of a display unit (for example, Patent Reference 3). This control device includes a remote controller unit, a display coordinate unit, a selected-button recognition unit, and a screen display control unit. By using an angular sensor included in the remote controller, the remote controller unit detects and measures an angle change amount between two directions which is caused when the user (operator) holding the remote controller moves the remote controller. The display coordinate unit calculates, from initial coordinates and the angle change amount, two-dimensional (2D) coordinates of the button selected on the display of the display unit by the remote controller. The selected-button recognition unit determines the selected button based on the calculated 2D coordinates and button position information stored in a button information storage unit. The screen display control unit displays buttons on respective positions on the display of the display unit and displays the selected button by hot spot. When the operator intends to decide the button selected by the screen display control unit, the operator presses a decision button on the remote controller to transmit a decision signal. This control device can select necessary information by such a simple operation.